Trainer Trials
by LifeSpiralz
Summary: Important note inside for the readers of this story. We regret to inform you that the authoress will not be with us anymore...
1. THE Tournament

"What?" you say. "What is this idiot doing writing a serious story when the Hassles series beckons?" Sadly, nobody seems to care about big meals anymore! I'm probably going to take the Hassles Of Big Dinners off, give it a quickie rewrite, and possibly put it back up. Anyway, I decided to take a break from humor and writethe serious story I promised. I don't own Pokémon or any of its characters, though owning Pikachu is my secret dream. The six OCs belong to the owners letting me borrow them. Enjoy! hands out snacks and drinks

* * *

1: THE Tournament 

It was a giant sign that you couldn't possibly miss. In big, bold letters, accentuated by the clashing colors making up the background, it gleefully screamed its message to passersby. _"It's here! The annual Trainer Trails Competition has returned for another action-packed year! Come and duke it out with your star Pokémon for a chance to win the grand prize--$1000 and the title of Trainer Trailblazer! Sign up in Summit City up ahead."_

"Doesn't it look awesome!" Ash exclaimed. "I've just gotta enter!"

"Pika pi!" Pikachu agreed.

Misty looked at the sign. "It does look cool," she admitted.

"Hmm," was Brock's input.

Ash turned and raced down the road. 'C'mon, guys!" he yelled. "We gotta see this!"

"Ash, wait!" Misty called as she and Brock came running after him. They were barely able to catch up to him before they reached Summit City. The place was crawling with people, as all cities are.

Ash looked around. "I wonder where you sign up for the competition?"

"Maybe there." Brock pointed up ahead at a large, five-story building. On the front was a sign which read "TRAINER TRAILS."

"Yeah, that might be it," Misty agreed. They weaved through the crowds and made their way to the building.

Inside, there were a lot of people milling around, sitting in chairs, talking and laughing and sharing battle stories. They all looked like trainers. Through the crowd, Ash spotted was looked like a sign-up desk. He made his way to it. "Is this where you sign up for the Trainer Trails competition?"

The woman looked up and nodded. "It sure is. Will you be entering?"

Ash nodded.

"Name?"

"Ash Ketchum."

The woman typed something into the computer off to her side. "All right then. Will you be using your Pikachu for the competition?"

"I can't use all my Pokémon?" Ash asked.

The woman shook her head. "Only one Pokémon per trainer. You pick your strongest, or your favorite, to use."

"Oh. Well then, yes, I'm usin' Pikachu," Ash said.

The woman typed away. She then handed him a card the size of a credit card with a string looped through a hole punched in the top. It said #61. "That's your number. You can join the crowd until the announcement."

"Okay," Ash said, looking down at his card before putting it on. It still said #61. He ambled off to the side while Misty stepped up to the counter and relayed her information. She was going to use her Corsola.

"Next?" the woman said after Misty had received her card.

To Ash's surprise, Brock stepped up and registered. He was going to use Onix. The woman handed him his card and then smiled down at something behind her desk Ash couldn't see. "You three please join the crowd and wait for the announcement."

"You're entering the competition too, Brock?" Ash asked.

Brock shrugged. "Why not? It ought to be good training for all of us. And besides..." his face turned romance red, (_Note from Life: and romance red is a COPYRIGHTED color!_) "I saw some pretty girls in the crowd!"

Ash and Misty sighed.

"Hey Ash! Over here!"

Ash turned and nearly passed out when he saw who it was. "_Gary_?!" he sputtered, barely able to keep his balance.

Gary walked up to him. The card around his neck said #17. "Yep, that's my name. What're you doing here, Ashie Boy?" He did a double take when he saw Ash's #61. "Oh, so you entered the contest, eh?"

"I sure did," Ash said. "I see you did too."

"That's right," Gary said. "Of course, I'll wipe the floor with you if we end up battling. Arcanine and I are unstoppable!"

"We'll see," Ash said.

_"May I have your attention, please." _The woman at the sign-up desk was speaking through a microphone. _"Attention! Attention! You two boys in the corner--turn and face the desk! Thank you. Now. All of the slots have been filled for the Trainer Trails Competition. It's almost time to begin. But before we do, I'm going to explain the rules to you."_

Ash listened closely. He wanted to hear this.

_"First, let me tell you exactly what this competition will entail. As you can see behind the desk, there are 64 doors on the back wall, each one numbered. When you hear the Pokéball sound, you will go to the door that has the same number on your ID card and take one of the paths before you. You will navigate a short maze before coming to a stadium. One other competitor will have a path which leads to the stadium you are in. You will have a no time limit, one-on-one Pokémon battle with the Pokémon you signed up. The battle, like always, will be over when one Pokémon is declared by the referee unable to battle._

_"The winner will receive on-the-spot healing for their Pokémon by our hi-tech Pokémon Autocenters. They will then choose one of the three paths leading them deeper into the building and to another battle stadium. The loser will receive the same treatment for their Pokémon, but will be eliminated from the competition and brought back out to the main room."_

Ash could feel himself getting excited. The buzz of excitement was all around and inside the crowd of trainers.

_"As the competition progresses, there will be different styles of battling instigated. You'll all see what I mean. Now, if you will, everyone please go to the door with the number that matches yours," _the woman said.

The trainers moved as a group towards the doors. Ash found Door 61 and stood in front of it. On his left, Misty and Brock stood in front of their doors. On his right, a girl with curly brown hair and blue eyes wearing pink and black was eagerly toying with a miniaturized Pokéball.

_"Ready, trainers," _the woman said.

Ash turned around and put his hand on the doorknob.

_"Get set...enter the maze!"_

The sound of a Pokéball opening came through the speakers. All 64 doors were flung open, and 64 trainers dashed into the maze.

* * *

Life: All done! 

Leien: -disappointed- the story's over?

Life: Oh no, not the story, the chapter!

Kelly: It just ought to be the story...

Life: So, tell us if the story should stay or go! And remember, folks: more reviews equals quicker responses! We want to hear from you!


	2. The First Battles

Life: It's time!

Leien: Yay!

Kelly: I'll just tag along until I find an escape.

Note From Life: In case you wondered, the story is going to follow Ash and Misty, and the occasional OC. Just so you know!

* * *

2: The First Battles 

Ash found a short hall in front of him. The walls were blue, as was the carpet. The ceiling was white. Two paths led off from the hall. _Hmm...so, it looks like by choosing a path, I'm kind of choosing my opponent, even thought I don't know who that will be, _he thought. He hoped he would be able to battle Gary. He wanted to beat the show-off.

"Which path should we take, Pikachu?" Ash asked his trusty Pokémon.

Pikachu eyed both paths and shrugged.

"Hmm...I know how to decide!" Ash turned to the left path. "Eenie, meenie, miney, mo, catch a Growlithe by its toe..."

He ended up with the left path and walked down it. He found two double doors and pushed them open.

A large regular-type stadium greeted him. Standing in the middle of the battling field was a boy with red hair and blue eyes wearing a white shirt and gray pants. A Pidgeot was with him. The card around his neck said 44. Off to the side was a girl with short brown hair wearing a Pokémon referee uniform. Near her was a strange machine that looked like an altered ATM.

The boy looked up and saw Ash. "Hey, about time you got here!" he said cheerfully. "We must be each other's opponents!"

Ash nodded. "I guess so," he said, walking over. "I'm Ash Ketchum."

"Mac. Nice to meet you." They shook hands.

The referee walked up to them, a red and a green flag in her right hand. "Ready to start the battle?" she questioned with a smile. The boys nodded and went to their places opposite the field.

"Good luck, Ash," Mac said from across the battling area.

"You, too," Ash said.

The referee took up her position on the side, facing the center. "The battle between Number 61, Ash, using his Pikachu, and Number 44, Mac, using his Pidgeot, will begin!" She raised both flags.

"Let's go, Pikachu!" Ash cried. Pikachu jumped onto the field.

"Go, Loden!" Mac yelled. His Pidgeot flapped its wings and flew into position.

**

* * *

**

Misty took the path on the right the moment she went through her door. A few turns and curves, and she found herself in her own stadium. A referee with blond pigtails awaited her. "Hello!" the referee said, coming over. She saw Misty's tag. "Number sixty-two?" She consulted an electronic pad in her hand. "Ah, Misty. You'll be using your Corsola?"

Misty nodded. Just then the door beside the one Misty had entered through opened, and in came the girl that had been standing beside Ash. 60. She had her miniaturized Pokéball still in her hand, and smiled in a friendly way as she approached Misty and the referee.

"Hi!" the referee said, glancing at the girl's tag and then down at her pad. "60, Midnight, using an Umbreon, right?"

The girl nodded. _So, I'll be up against an Umbreon, _Misty thought. She didn't know a lot about them, so she decided the best defense would be a good offense. Plus, her Corsola knew Recover, which would most definitely be useful in staying in the battle.

Midnight extended her hand to Misty. "Midnight," she said with a smile that looked slightly manic.

"Misty," Misty said, shaking her hand.

"Good luck," Midnight said as she turned and started for the other side of the field. "You'll need it."

_We'll see,_ Misty thought. She reached into her satchel and pulled out Corsola's Pokéball.

The referee held up a red flag and a green flag. "The battle between Trainer 60, Midnight, using an Umbreon, and Trainer 62, Misty, using a Corsola, will now begin!" The flags dropped.

"Go, Corsola!" Misty yelled, tossing her Pokéball in one smooth motion. Corsola appeared in a flash of white light and jumped into the field, rested and ready.

Midnight's brown curls bounced as she pulled back her arm, enlarged her ball, and then hurled it over the field with an expertness that proved she had been hurling Balls for quite a while. "Let's go, Umbreon!" she yelled. Her Umbreon jumped from the ball in another white flash and stood menacingly on all fours, tail raised.

"I'll start things off, if you don't mind, Misty," Midnight said. She pointed at Corsola. "Umbreon, use Screech!"

Umbreon opened its mouth and let out an earsplitting screech that was ten times worse than nails on chalkboard. Misty put her hands over her ears, and Corsola nearly passed out.

"Now hit it with a Quick Attack!"

Without missing a beat, Umbreon dashed forward. Streaking across the field, it slammed into the distracted Corsola head-on and sent it flying.

"Oh no!" Misty cried. "Corsola, Pin Missile!"

Corsola flipped over in mid-air so its spines were pointed at Umbreon. It glowed white, and sharp glowing spikes shot from its body, all aimed at Umbreon.

"Umbreon!" Midnight shouted. "Use Swift to intercept the missiles!"

Umbreon opened its mouth again, and yellow glowing stars spewed out. They intercepted the spikes, all of the stars and spikes canceling each other out. Corsola landed on its feet on the ground.

"Darn it!" Misty said to herself. "She's better than I thought. And she hasn't even used any really powerful attacks yet. I'd better go on the offensive if I want a chance to win. Corsola!" she yelled. "Pin Missile again!"

Corsola glowed white and fired a stream of pins at Umbreon.

"Use Quick Attack to dodge!" Midnight commanded. Umbreon jumped away from where it was standing and the pins hit the ground. "All right, now use Iron Tail!"

Umbreon's tail glowed bright silver. It jumped at Corsola and swung its tail out.

Misty gasped. It would be a Direct Hit! At the way things were going, Corsola might not be strong enough to use Recover. She'd have to think fast.

**

* * *

**

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu charged up and let its electricity release. Several streaks of yellow electricity sailed towards Mac's Pidgeot.

"Loden, use Fly to dodge it!"

Loden snapped its wings and flew straight up. The electricity passed under it.

"Don't let that Pidgeot get away!" Ash yelled. "Use Quick Attack and get it!"

Pikachu increased its speed tremendously. It ran to Loden's side of the field and then jumped into the air after Loden.

"Now, Pikachu, Thunder!"

Pikachu charged up. The electricity collected around its body. "Pika-_CHUUUUUU_!" The electricity flew in showers everywhere. Loden couldn't dodge them all and was shocked back to the ground. Pikachu landed on its feet. Loden didn't get back up to fight.

The referee looked at Loden and then raised her red flag. "Pidgeot is unable to battle! Ash and his Pikachu win the match!"

"All right!" Ash cried. The referee collected their Pokémon and put them on the AutoCenter.

"You're awesome in battles, Ash," Mac said. "I've seen you on TV, and it was great battling you."

Ash smiled. "Thanks. It was nice battlin' you too, Mac." Their Pokémon, fully healed, came back to them, followed by the referee.

"Mac, since you lost, I'll escort you outside, where you can watch other people's progress on the screens," she said to him. "Ash, since you won, you have a choice of which of the three doors on that wall you want to go through." She turned and led Mac off.

Ash looked at the doors. "Which one, Pikachu?" he asked.

"Pika." Pikachu shrugged.

"Okay, then," Ash said. "Eenie meenie miney mo..."

**

* * *

**

"Corsola, Harden!" Misty yelled.

Corsola immediately began to glow slightly as its body became harder and harder. Umbreon's Iron Tail attack hit it and sent it flying. It hit the wall and fell; however, since it had used Harden, the damage was cut in half. But still Corsola looked pretty weakened.

Midnight threw back a curl. "One more good attack ought to do it, Umbreon," she yelled to her Pokémon. "Give it your best Quick Attack!"

"Umbreon!" Umbreon sped into superspeed in record time. It jumped at Corsola.

"Now, Corsola, Pin Missile!" Misty yelled.

Corsola glowed white and spewed pins at Umbreon. Since it had been jumping for an attack, Umbreon didn't have a chance to dodge and was hit head-on. It was knocked back.

"All right, now, Corsola, use Recover!" Misty ordered.

Corsola glowed white as the healing powers of Recover converged on it. When the glow faded, it looked as good as new.

Midnight gasped. "No way!" she exclaimed. "It knew Recover!" She clenched a fist. This would be a lot harder if she had to deal with that. "Okay, Umbreon, let's up the ante and put Corsola out of commission before it can use that Recover attack again! Use Iron Tail!"

"Stop it with Bubblebeam!" Misty yelled. Corsola fired a hard stream of bubbles at Umbreon, slowing the other Pokémon down. "Now give it a hard Tackle!" Misty added.

Corsola stopped the bubbles and rushed forward, its hard body slamming into Umbreon. It knocked the Dark-type over, and Umbreon didn't get up.

The blond referee watched it and then raised her green flag. "Umbreon is unable to battle! Misty and her Corsola win!"

* * *

Life: Good? Bad? In-between? Let us know! 


	3. Ash's Four On Four

Life: It's that time again!

Kelly: Unfortunately.

Leien: Thanks to blackfalcon and Anonymous for reviewing! Here's another chapter!

* * *

3: Ash's Four On Four

Ash ended up choosing the door in the middle. He pushed it open and walked through. A long hall awaited him.

"I can't wait for the next battle!" Ash cheered to himself. He heard his voice echo down the hall.

Pikachu sat happily on Ash's shoulder. "Pika pi!" it added cheerfully.

"C'mon, Pikachu," Ash said as he started to run down the hall. "Our next victory awaits us! We can't keep our victim-I mean opponent, waiting!"

They made short work of the long hallway. Ash reached the double doors at the end and pushed them open, finding himself staring into the next stadium. A referee with short brown hair and blue eyes was fiddling with the AutoCenter. Standing next to her was a very familiar girl with thick aqua-colored pigtails and brown eyes.

"Duplica!" Ash called, starting over.

Duplica turned when she heard her named being called, and she smiled when she saw Ash. "Hi, Ash!" she said cheerfully. The card around her neck read #12. She had her Ditto in her arms.

Ash came up to her, and Pikachu and Ditto jumped off their respective trainers to catch up with each other. "I didn't expect to see you in this competition, Duplica," Ash said. "I thought you were going to catch and raise weird kinds of Ditto?"

"Well, sure," Duplica said. "But when I heard about this competition I just had to enter! It's the perfect competition for Ditto and me!"

"So, I guess we're each other's opponents, then," Ash said.

"You are," the referee said, turning around, "but we can't start the match until the other two arrive."

"Other two?" Ash and Duplica questioned.

The referee nodded. "Yup. This battle is four on four. We have to wait for the other two-"

Just then the door on the far left opened, and in walked a tall boy with black hair and dark eyes. He wore a blue shirt and pants underneath a blue trenchcoat. He looked all business. One eyebrow raised when he saw that two trainers were already there. "Maybe I'm in the wrong room...?"

"Oh, no, this is the right room," the referee told him with a smile. She waved him over and checked his and Ash's cards. She consulted her e-pad. "#2, Karn Vickman, #12, Duplica, and #61, Ash Ketchum. All right, all we have to do is wait for the last trainer to arrive and we can start!"

Karn turned and eyed Ash and Duplica with a small smile. He seemed to be eyeing their Pokémon. Ash spied the five miniaturized Pokéballs clipped to his belt. "Ash and Duplica, I'd guess. Pleased to meet you. As you may have guessed, I'm Karn Vickman. I've seen you before on TV, Ash, but I'm afraid I've never seen you, Duplica."

Suddenly the door on the far right burst open, and a girl with very curly brown hair and large green eyes stumbled through. She looked up, embarrassed. "Uh...the door was a little heavy," she admitted sheepishly. She had on a purple T-shirt and black capris, and a silver necklace dangling over her card. A loose Pokéball belt bounced happily around her waist as she joined the other three. Her card read #31.

The referee looked relieved. "Good, you're here!" she said. She checked her e-pad. "#31, Amunet, right? Good. As you can see, this stadium outline is a little different from the normal one. For one, the battling area is a square, and there are four trainer boxes instead of two. That's because this is a four-on-four battle. Let me better explain.

"This battle is more like a free-for-all. You will all use your chosen Pokémon in a battle. You can and will attack any other Pokémon you see. The battle will end when two Pokémon are declared unable to battle. The last two Pokémon standing will win, and they and their trainers will advance to the next round in Trainer Trails. Understood?" The four trainers nodded. "Good. Everyone pick a box and get ready!"

The four trainers separated and went to the boxes of their choice.

The referee stood on the corner between Ash and Karn and raised two blue flags. "Let the four on four match...begin!"

"Let's go, Pikachu!" Ash yelled. Pikachu jumped into the field.

"Go, Ditto!" Duplica yelled. Ditto jumped from her shoulder and got into position.

Without looking, Karn grabbed his chosen Pokéball and sent it flying. "Go, Magmar!" he yelled.

Amunet whipped out a Love Ball and tossed it. "Go, Ninetales!" she shouted.

The two new arrivals appeared in a flash of light. The four Pokémon faced each other in a battle stance, each one awaiting orders from their trainers. The four trainers stood watching one another for a moment, each unsure who should make the first move and attack the other three.

"I guess I'll be making the first move, then," Karn said suddenly. "Magmar, Ember attack!"

Magmar opened its mouth and spewed scorching fire at the three remaining Pokémon.

"Dodge it, Pikachu!" Ash yelled.

"Ditto, transform into a Pikachu and dodge!" Duplica shouted.

"Dodge, Ninetales!" Amunet cried.

The three respective Pokémon jumped out of the way.

"All right, then, Pikachu," Ash said, "Thunderbolt on Magmar!"

Pikachu charged up and sent a wave of electricity Magmar's way. Magmar jumped to safety just in time.

"Ditto!" Duplica yelled. "Use Quick Attack on Ninetales!"

"Pika!" Ditto said as Pikachu as it jumped into an attack.

"Ninetales, Ember!" Amunet ordered.

Ninetales opened its mouth and shot a stream of fire at Ditto, knocking it back.

"Ditto!" Duplica yelled. "Change to a Ninetales and use Flamethrower!"

Ditto transformed into a Ninetales and spewed fire at both the real Ninetales and Magmar. Both jumped out of the way at their trainers' command.

"Magmar!" Karn yelled. "Show them your Fire Spin!"

Magmar nodded once and let loose a fiery tornado that spun across the field aimed at all other opponents. Before anyone could react, Pikachu and both Ninetales were hit by the powerful attack.

_This Karn guy's good, _Ash thought. _I'm gonna have to change my strategy if I simply don't wanna lose. _"Get outta there, Pikachu!" Ash yelled.

"Ninetales, you gotta try to escape!" Amunet was yelling.

Neither Ash, nor Duplica, nor Amunet knew how their Pokémon were faring inside the cyclone of fire. It twisted around in the center of the field, scorching the dirt beneath it. Any cries their Pokémon might have been making were drowned out by the roar of the fiery tornado. Karn's Magmar stood waiting a distance away. Karn had his arms crossed, a satisfactory smirk on his face.

"Pikachu!" Ash yelled as loudly as he could. "Aim a Thunderbolt at Magmar!"

There was what seemed like no response for a few seconds. Then three streaks of lightning blasted through the wall of the fiery cyclone and zapped towards Magmar. The fire Pokémon was hit directly by the electricity.

"Escape!" Ash, Duplica, and Amunet all yelled.

Pikachu was the first to get out. It jumped over the top and hit the ground rolling, before it came to its feet. Ditto, which had turned back into a Pikachu, followed suit. Ninetales, which didn't have the advantage of being able to use a Pikachu's agility, managed to push through a weak spot in the wall of the tornado. It looked pretty weak, and soon fell on its side.

"Ninetales is unable to battle!" the referee shouted, raising a flag. "The next Pokémon down decides the match!"

Ash, Karn, and Duplica all looked towards their Pokémon as Amunet returned hers to its Ball. Magmar, of course, had plenty of strength to go on. Pikachu was pretty all right, though some of its energy was gone, and Ditto was only a little worse off than Pikachu.

"So, which one of you is ready to lose next?" Karn asked.

"We'll just see who does the losing, Karn!" Ash said.

"Yeah! Let's see if you can put your money where your mouth is!" Duplica added.

The referee raised both flags. "Continue the match!"

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt on Magmar!" Ash commanded.

Pikachu immediately charged up and sent a shower of electricity Magmar's way. Magmar, at Karn's command, dodged it easily.

"Now, Ditto, use Pikachu's Thunderbolt!" Duplica yelled. Ditto as Pikachu fired a new stream of electricity at Magmar. This one came too quickly to be dodged, and it hit Magmar. It knocked the Pokémon back a few feet.

"Nice shot, Ditto!" Duplica said. "Now, use a Thunderbolt on Pikachu!"

Ditto as Pikachu turned and sent a wave of electricity at Pikachu.

"Pikachu, dodge it with a Quick Attack!" Ash yelled. Pikachu jumped away, and the electric attack aimed it at harmlessly hit dirt, sending up a dirt cloud. "Now use Iron Tail on Ditto!"

Pikachu jumped into the air. Its tail started to glow. Using its own momentum, Pikachu whirled at the last second and hit Ditto with its tail, sending the attacked Pokémon flying.

"All right, Magmar, Fire Blast!" Karn ordered.

Magmar spewed a star-shaped burst of fire Ditto's way. Since it was still recovering from Pikachu's Iron Tail, it wasn't able to get out of the way and was hit dead-on. Ditto slammed into the wall and slid to the ground, down for the count.

The referee raised both flags. "Ditto is unable to battle!" she announced. "That means Ash Ketchum and Karn Vickman will move on to the next round!"

Ash pumped a fist. "All right!" he cheered as Pikachu jumped into his arms. "We made it to the next round, Pikachu!"

"Nice job, Ditto," Duplica said as she went over and picked Ditto up. "You did great."

"Is Ditto gonna be okay?" Ash asked, walking over.

Duplica nodded. "Sure. A little rest ought to do it."

The referee waved the four trainers over to the AutoCenter to get their Pokémon healed. "Since Ash and Karn made it to the next round," she said, "the two of you can each pick one of the two doors on that wall. Duplica and Amunet, once your Pokémon are healed, I'll take you back out to the lobby." She smiled at Ash and Karn. "It seems your trails have been smooth so far," she said. "But don't expect it to stay that way."

Karn raised an eyebrow. "What's that mean?" Ash asked.

The referee just gave them a sunny smile.

* * *

Life: Sounds like a cliffhanger, doesn't it? Well, tune in next time to see Misty's four-on-four battle! 


	4. Note

We regret to inform the readers of LifeSpiralz's stories that LifeSpiralz will not be writing anymore. For the past month, said authoress has been waging a battle against lung cancer, and one week ago today, she lost the battle.

LS's mom


End file.
